Improvement in pen-holders



DANIEL M. SOMERS, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

IMPROVEMENT IN PEN-HOLDERS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. H67,5i, dated September7, 1875; application filed August 30, 1875.

To atl whm it may concern Be it known that I, DANIEL M. SoMERs, of NewYork city, have invented an Improvement in Pen-Holders, of which thefollowing is a specification:

In the accompanying drawings, in which like letters indicate like parts,Figure l is a perspective view of the pen-holder complete; Fig. 2, aperspective view of the stick or handle with its end tinted to receivethe ,corrugated barrel or tip; Fig. 3, a section of Fig. 2 on line a: m;Fig. 4, an vend view, showing the tianged edge of the barrel and the'divided oval end of the spring-nib; Fig. 5, a plan view of the blankfrom which the spring-nib is formed; Fig. 6, a perspective view of thespring-nib swaged into shape for insertionv lnto the barrel or tip; Fig.7, a longitudinalv section of the-barrel or tip and spring-nib united;Fig. 8, a longitudinal view, partly inv section, of a pen-holder withall of the parts 111 proper position; Fl g. 9, a longitudinal view,partly 1n section, of one modification in which vthe nib is made solid,and'has its end split to provide for the reception of the pen; 10, alongitudinal view, partly in section, of an other modification, whereinthe'solid nib is secured by a rivet, x,- Fig. 1l, a longitudinal view,partly in section, of another modification, wherein the solidnib issecured by teats or circular depressions t; F ig. l2, a perspective viewof another modification, wherein the means for securing the nib is anelongated dcpression, y; and Fig. 13, a perspective view of anopen-ended split nib.

The invention consists of a pen-holder, the base portion of thenib-holding barrel or tip of which is corrugated longitudinally toafford secure and firm attachment to the stick or handle, and whereby isprovided an irregular, yet comparatively smooth, exterior surface, whichprevents it from slipping or turning in the fingers while in use, andaifords an ornamental exterior finish; also, of a pen-holder the barrelor tip of which is formed of a metal tube having a corrugated or utedbase, and which is provided with a pen-retaining nib, as hereinaftermore fully described.

In carrying out this invention, I form a barrel or tip, A, in tubularform from a thin sheet of metal in any of the well-known modes ofdrawing or otherwise forming metal tubes, and corrugate or flute itsbase portion, as at a', to a distance sufficient to furnish a properbearing upon its stock or handle B. The other end of said tube isbea-ded or turned back upon itself, as shown at b, whereby said end isrendered sufliciently strong to resist any undue strain or pressure. Bythus disposing the metal forming the extreme ends of said barrel or'tip, the smooth portion Z constituting the bearing for the ends of thefingers is provided, and such strength given to the entire tube as toprevent its being bent out of shape. Thus a considerable reduction inthethickness of its metal walls is accomplished, while greater strengththan that possessed by a plain tube made of very much thicker metal isprovided. The nib which lls or is introduced into the outer end of saidbarrel or tip, and which provides a pen-holding recess or space betweenits walls and those of the barrel or tip, is preferably formed asfollows: A blank is cut out of sheet metal in the form shown in Fig. 5,which blank has a width from its sides t' and t" equal to the innercircumference of the barrel or tip A, and is of a length alittle greaterthan that of the plain outer end b of said tip. Its upper end is dividedlongitudinally by slots c, whose curved sides diverge so as to form aconsiderable opening at the lower ends of said slots, while the arms G,formed by these intervening slots, have the sides ot' their free endsformed by curves, which unite at a central point. The Lower end of thisblank is perforated by a number of slots, whose base lines aretriangular, by which a number of fingers, e, with parallel sides andangular bases, are provided. Such a blank is rolled or otherwise brought`into cylindrical form as a tube, in which process the base of eachofthe lingers e will be forced inwardly at an obtuse angle until theangular sides of each at this point meet or close together, whichmanipulation will also bring together the parallel sides of theirextended parts, thus forming the smaller tube or nipple I) extendingfrom the base, as in Fig. 6.- During this operation the main body willhave carried the arms C with it, and the lower extremities or bodies ofthe latter will also be forced inward to a slight degree nea-r the baseofthe recesses which separate them from each other, while their upperends will nearly or quite touch each other along their sides, which havethe greatest curve or swell. This lon gitudinal curvature provides themwith a sufficient spring-power to keep them in this position, and returnthem to it when forced inward by the insertion of the pen, as ishereinafter more fully described.

The extreme or curved ends n are bent inward toward the center, so as toform a semispherical end or head, m, their curved sides coinciding andlying in close proximity.

The nib thus constructed is inserted within the open forward end of thebarrel or tip, and when this construction is used the barrel or tip Awill have a knurl or inwardly-projecting annular bead, 0, rolled orotherwise formed in its body at the termination of the corrugations a.The angular base e of the tip will be seated against the knurl or bead oof the barrel, when, by suitable tools, the nipple or small projectingtube l), which is divided or split longitudinally, as has beenexplained, will have its fingers e opened and spread outwardly, so as toconform to, overlie, and clasp the knurl or bead o, while the extendedends of said lingers will be caused to enter into and rest within thcflutes -or corrugations of the tip or barrel.

This latter feature may be dispensed with and the fingers e be cut to alength which will be sufiicient to enable them to be clasped over theknurl or bead without entering into the corrugations. Thus the nib andbarrel are fitted and fastened together in an expeditious and securemanner without the interposition of solder or other means of fastening.

Thecurved ends of the arms C of the nib close the end of the barrel ortip and their bodies form elastic supports for a pen introduced betweenthem and the inner walls of the barrel or tip. The pen is thus held by aY force sufficient to retain it in position while in use, from which itmay be easily removed when a new one is to be inserted.

It is to be observed that any number of equal divisions of the nib maybe made, the are of curvature of the opposite sides of the extreme endsof their arms C being such as to provide for thei1 coinciding when saidends are closed inwardly to form the semi-spherical end or head m, andalso that they may have angular sides when a fiat surface is desired forthe end or head m.

In place of this construction of nib its inner ends may be open, as in13, when it will be united to the barrel by teats t, as in Fig. l1,which, depressing the walls of both barrel and nib, interlock the twotogether. The nib may also be a cylinder with both ends open, the outerone being split, as in Fig. 13, or be a solid wooden or soft-metal nibwith one end split, as in Figs. 9` 10, and 11, and these nibs may besecured in the barrel or tip by an annular depression. 0,as in Figs. 7,and 9, or by teats t, as in Fig. 11, or by elongated depressionsy y, asin Fig. 12. Thus these nibs may be ofany form ot' construction, and besecured in the barrel by any of the means shown or common in fasteningsuch parts into tubular barrels or tips; but the form of parts and meansfor fastening illustrated in Figs. l to 8, inclusive, is preferred, asembodying the most compact, secure, and efficient construction of thedevice, the distinguishing features of which are the barrel or tiphaving its means of attachment to the stick or handle provided in itscorrugated or iiuted base and the corrugated base and beaded or flangedend, whereby the minimum thickness of metal and maximum strength of tubeare obtained.

A pen-holder thus made and provided with any suitable pen-retaining nibfurnishes an inexpensive, light, and strong article, with a sectionalconiiguration which provides an exterior surface irregular enough toafford a sufficient bearing for its secure retention in the fingers ofthe user, and yet smooth enough not to abrade the flesh, whileimpartingl great strength and an ornamental linish.

What Iclaim, therefore, is Y 1. A pen-holder, the barrel or tip of whichis formed of a metal tube having a corrugated or iiuted base,substantially as shown, and for the purposes described.

2. A pen-holder, the barrel or tip of which is formed of a metal tubehaving a corrugated or fluted base, and which is provided with apen-retaining nib, substantially as shown and described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

DANIEL M. SUMERS. Witnesses:

HENRY J. THORNTON, M. B. PHLLIPP.

